Spring-wheel.



J. H. MULLIN. SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1913.

Patented Mar. .23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

n Ax) "online spaans Parana* carinii.

JOSEPH H. MULLIN, 0F MIFFLIN'BURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SRING-WHEEL.

Application tiled July 2A, 1913.

T0 all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. MULLIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mitliinburg, in the county of Union and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Spring-VVheel, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. y

My invention relates to spring wheels and may be advantageously embodied in automobile wheels, or car wheels, or in the pulleys of shafting, and it is to be understood that the term spring wheel as used herein, includes pulleys.

lt is a design of my invention to provide a spring wheel having spring elements so arranged as to give the maximum cushioning effect, and composed of comparatively few parts.

It is a further design of the invention to provide a wheel that may be conveniently assembled, and in which the springs will be effectively housed against the entrance of dirt and water. y

The invention will be particularly explained in the specific description following.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a face view of an automobile wheel embodying my invention, parts being in section; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail transverse section illustrating a slightly different form from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the invention embodied in a car wheel; and Fig. 5 is a detail cross sectional view of the form shown in Fig. 4.

In constructing a wheel in accordance with my invention a hub section is provided, comprising the hub 10, spokes 11 and a rim 12. An outer section is provided which comprises an inner base rim 13, spokes 14, and an outer riin 15, the outer rim having means to support a tire and springs, as well as housing elements for the springs, and fastening devices for the housing elements and springs, as hereinafter explained.

The rim 12 is concentric with the hub 10 and presents a broad outer side parallel with the hub, and the inner base rim 13 of the outer section is similarily disposed to 'lt snugly over the rim l2, and the two are Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 780,932.

` Extending around the outer ends of each annular series of compression springs 16 and sustained thereby, is a rigid metallic tire 17, on which a suitable rubber tread 18 is secured in the case of an `automobile wheel.

rlhe inner end ot' each spring is secured by an eye-bolt 19 and a nut 19, the eye of the bolt facing laterally and receiving the inner terminal 1Ga of the spring. The outer terminal 16b of the spring is received in the 75' eye of a lug 20, said lugs extending inwardly from the inner surface of the metallic tire 17.

The outer iim 15 has cast thereon oi firmly secured thereto, a radial rib'la that 80 extends anniilarly around the wheel,' and said rib with side plates 21 incloses the spring at the sides, said plates 21 being disposed radially and extending annularly around the wheel. curely clamped in position by transverse belts 22.

The arrangement of the parts is such as to facilitate assembling the same, as follows: The several springs 16 are first se- 90 cured hy their outer eiifls to the lugs 20 ot the metallic tire 17 by forcing the ends of the springsI through the said lugs, the work heilig;` carried out oii a suitably equipped table. lVheii all the springs are placed on a tire the latter is picked up and placed in position against the radial rib or partition 15a (Fig. 2) or against an equivalent mcnihei' (Fig. El) as hereinafter explained. The

inner ends of tte springs will then he posi 10o,v

ticiitd adjacent to the eyes of the bolts 19 and may readily he pressed through the eyes so that upon tightening the nuts 19a, the springs will be lirmlyv secured, disposed radially around the wheel, with the yieldingly sustained tire 17 extending aniiularly outside of the springs.- The bolts 22 are now secured to the partition or radial rib 15?1 lt will be seen that the said bolts have adjacent to the inner ends. shoulders 23 to 11o come to a bearing against one face of the said radial rib when the inner end of the Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

The plates 21 are se- 85 bolt is passed through said rib. A nut 24 is then applied to the inner end of the bolt and tightened up. There are in practice, preferably sixteen springs disposed around the Wheel, vand similarly sixteen bolts 22 alternating with the springs. Vvlhen all the bolts have been'isecured as described to the radial ribl 15a, an outer side plate or ring 21 is placed in position to complete the housing of the springs. Said plates are formed with bolt-holes through which the outer ends of the bolts 22 pass, the bolts having shoulders near the outer ends to bear against the inner sides ot' the plates 21, and being adapted to receive nuts 20 outside of the said plates, to firmly clamp the latter inl position on the bolts. The plates 21 are further 'formed at the inner faces thereof with annular grooves 21a, to receive the side 2O edges of the outer rim 15 to effect an interlock with the said rim. The complete outer section, with the springs secured and housed, and with the tire in position, is then placed around the hub section 11. the inner rim 13 25 ot' the outer section being snugly received over the outer rim 1L). of the hub section. The wheel is completed by fastening the rims 12 and 13 by the bolts 12, lt will thus be seen that the assembling ot the parts may be accomplished with convenience, despatch and precision. The rigid` noirdefoi'mable rim 13 supports the assembled cushion elements, and the whole may thus be quickly secured to the rim 12 of the hub section. The hub section, it should be mentioned, is cast in one piece, the hublll, spokes 11 and outer rim 12 being integral. Similarly the inner rim 13, spokes lll, outer rim 15 and radial rib 15, are cast in one piece, this 40r construction promoting economy and proriding the rigid radial member 15 for receiving the transverse bolts.

In Fig. 3, instead of having two annular series of springs separated by the integral rib 15, the spokes 14" ot the outer section have an outer rim 15b formed at one side with a radial rib 15v -orrcslmnding .vith the rib 15` and like the latter forming one side ot the housing for the series of springs 16C. The springs 16C are secured to the tire 17 having the described lugs 1Gh securing one end of each spring. the oppositel ends of the springs being secured by the described bolts 19 and nuts 19. Bolts 22, the same in all respects as the bolts 22, secure the housing ring 21h. The single annular series of springs it will thus be seen, are disposed in radial alinement with the spokes 11a.

The car wheel shown in Figs. 1 and 5 has a hub 10, `spokes 11a, and an outer rim 12d essentiallycorresponding with the similar parts in the automobile wheel, and bolts 12b clamp said outer rim and the inner rim 13 of the inner section. 0n the spokes 14h of the outer section is cast an outer rim 15 having the radial rib 15 at one side thereof. ln this construction the compression springs 16d are secured at the inner ends by eye-bolts 19D, and the outer end of each spring I prefer to secure by two lugs 16e similar to the lugs 1Gb, and formed upon the tire or tread 17a. Transverse bolts 22h clamp the annular housing plate or ring 21C in position, the bolts and the said pate being formed similarly to the corresponding parts in the automobile wheel. ln the car wheel the tire or tread 171 is within the outer edge of the iXed radial rib 15d, the latter projecting sufficiently beyond the tread of the wheel to constitute the wheel flange 15e.

Having thus described in v invention, l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A spring wheel comprising a hub section having a rigid rim, an outer section having inner and outer rims in fixed relation to each other, said inner and outer rims being eachv unitary and of a width to extend transversely across the wheel from one side thereof to the other, radial bolts rigidly securing the inner rigid rim of the outer section to the rigid rim of the hub section, a tire, springs between the tire and the outer rim of the outer section, and radial bolts .securing the inner ends of the said springs to the said outer rim of the outer section, the said inner and outer rims of the outer Section being spaced to accommodate the bolt heads and a flord clearance 'for the manipulation of the bolts. v

ln testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH H. MULLN. Witnesses (liras. H. Germans. R. S. GUTELIUs. 

